Woman Charged In Fatal Fiery Crash In Bartow County

ACWORTH, GA — More charges have been added for the Bartow County woman who police say was behind the wheel of a vehicle when it crashed into a power pole, killing her male passenger in September.

Darla Ann Smith, who was initially charged with driving under the influence, now faces vehicular homicide in the first degree, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane charges stemming from the collision on Glade Road, Bartow County Jail records show. The vehicular homicide charge is classified as a felony while the others are misdemeanors, Smith's booking record indicates.

The Georgia State Patrol previously told Patch that a BMW was traveling northbound on Glade Road near Apache Drive around 2:50 a.m. Sept. 21 when the car struck a dog while "swerving towards the right" side of the road.

The car continued northbound on the road, but crashed into a power pole with its right front, GSP added. A male passenger inside the vehicle, identified as 24-year-old Beau Johnson of Marietta, was entrapped inside the vehicle.

The BMW caught fire and bystanders tried to rescue Johnson from the vehicle, but they were unsuccessful. Johnson died in the crash, GSP said. Smith, who was 22 at the time of the collision, received serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries in the crash.

Bartow County Jail records show Smith was booked into the facility on Friday, Jan. 25. She posted a $6,550 bond and was released on Monday, Jan. 28.

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Photo: Darla Ann Smith. Credit: Bartow County Jail